La Dolce Vita - 2024

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning My Lovely Friends. 

What a glorious morning.  Late Summer/Autumn is my favourite time of the year.  Especially when we have days like today, warm and sunny but not humid.  Perfect!!!!   

I have been busy........Resetting My Life!!!  Introducing new routines.  😉. Getting ready to take the next big leap forward.  

I am not naturally a morning person so I have switched some of my routines around to try and overcome my morning inertia.  

I figured that, for me, Good Mornings needed to start with a good evening/bedtime routine. So now I make sure that I reset my house before going to bed, a quick tidy up, putting things away and cleaning my kitchen. That way I wake up to a nice clean tidy house.  

I also decided that if I was to stick to a regular exercise plan I needed to get it out of the way first thing in the morning otherwise I have the whole "I must do some exercise" thing hanging over my head all day. Then, because I have worn myself out doing other stuff I often bale out because by the time I have the time I am too tired or lazy to want to do it,  so the new me leaps (or should I say staggers) lol out of bed and hits the treadmill and then does some yoga stretches.  

Oddly enough the exercise does seem to wake me up and make me feel more energised and my mornings are becoming more productive.  The old me would sit around, looking at the mess and clutter and having no motivation to start the day.  Whilst the new me isn't exactly buzzing with excess energy my new systems do seem to be helping me to get going and stop me wasting so much time.  

Let's see how long it lasts........ 

Hope all is well with everyone.  

The private gym conversion (my spare bedroom, ha ha). continues apace.  I have reorganised the room to make room for a mini trampoline.  There's just about enough space.  So basically that room is now a storage unit/home gym.  Saving money by not paying for storage and gym fees.  Perhaps as well seeing as energy prices are set to rise again and I have lost my WFA.  

It's all about trying to live well, within my means and still enjoying La Dolce Vita.  

I have noticed that, despite my best efforts to not overspend, my food bill keeps increasing too so although I could never be a vegetarian I am going to introduce a couple of vegetarian meals each week.  I have also "invested" in a soup maker and replaced my broken food processor to encourage me to do more batch cooking.  

Time to get creative in the kitchen.  I do enjoy cooking so, as autumn drifts into winter, I shall look forward to some nice hearty soups and casseroles.  

SandyShores

I love that your good mornings start with a good bedtime routine - that's spot on.  I'm going to start putting that into practice and also get the exercise out of the way as early as possible.

Coxy11

I’m reading Atomic Habits by James Clear atm and he talks about effective ways of sticking to ‘good’ habits. He says making good habits easy and accessible mean we are more like to stick to them which makes perfect sense. You carving out a space for exercise, planning this earlier in the day, tidying up before going to bed each night is a great start @helensbiggestfan.

I take supplements and leave them by the kettle so I automatically reach for them when having my first cuppa of the day. I also meal plan which saves me money/time/food wastage in the long run.

It’s the small things!!!

helensbiggestfan

Good Afternoon My Lovely Friends, 

Coxy,,,,,you're right, it's the small things.  They add up to big things right. 😉

Physio/brutal Swedish massage yesterday and I feel sore and tender so I've given the exercise routine a miss this morning. I'll do a few half hearted stretches later.  Better than nothing. Lol.  I read Automic habits. A good book.  

It's rather autumnal here today.  I have had the heating on a couple of times this week.  Sod it. I can't afford to get too cold, I just seize up.   I have bought myself a heated neck/shoulder warmer.  It's brilliant.  Eases the aches and pains and probably saves on the heating bill a bit too.  With that round my shoulders and a throw over the rest of me I can snuggle down on the sofa as snug as a bug in a rug.  

Like many I will no longer be eligible for the WFA and of course the energy suppliers are putting up their rates in October.  The loss of the WFA and the overall rise in energy prices would  probably have meant that I would have been at least £500 worse off.  I am currently over £300 in credit and I have just fixed my payments for 12 months so hopefully I shouldn't have any nasty shocks. 

 I don't want to sound smug and complacent. I am just grateful I can afford to keep my house warm.  Energy ratings are definitely something to think about when buying my next house.  No more draughty period properties I'm afraid. They are usually my preferred choice but I don't my old bones would be able cope.  

I have had some luck with the chazzers this week.  I'm stocking up on autumn/winter wear now.  I bought a couple of tops and a lightweight (or next summer) jacket, all 50p each,  and a tunic dress £4.    

I got a nasty shock in Aldi last week.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the bill,  £68 for just two bags of groceries😱😱.  Again I'm ok I can afford it but it doesn't get any easier does it.  I don't want to get political but I just hope the chancellor knows what she's doing but I do feel that a lot of people are going to really struggle this winter.   Anyway I have decided to try and introduce more vegetarian options into my diet, better for health (maybe???) and hopefully easier on my bank balance.  

Other than that, not much news,  this week has been a bit of a non event with cancelled appts.  Never mind. One last dentist appt tomorrow for a final check up and hopefully signing off on the implants and then a nice relaxing weekend.   Some fun time with my grandsons and my son cooking me a slap up meal.  😁. 

Wednesday2000

helensbiggestfan said:

  I have bought myself a heated neck/shoulder warmer.  It's brilliant.  Eases the aches and pains and probably saves on the heating bill a bit too.  With that round my shoulders and a throw over the rest of me I can snuggle down on the sofa as snug as a bug in a rug.  

Where did you buy that from? I have problems with my neck when I'm sleeping and when I wake up still even with the ergonomic pillows I bought. It is okay when I get up and stretch, but it is annoying.

helensbiggestfan

Hi Wednesday. I got it from Amazon, it was on offer, about £23. I was going to just get a microwave lavender wheat pack but they were £17 so I thought I'd pay a bit extra and give it a whirl.  It is not recommended you wear it to sleep on overnight but it's nice for watching tv, reading etc.  I've never really found a good ergonomic pillow, they don't seem to help me.  

Just back from the dentist for a final check up of my implants and a scale and polish.  All is good.  She even praised me for the overall state of my mouth!!   She said I can tell you are being meticulous with cleaning etc because your gums are nice and pink and healthy.  Lol.  She said my smile was really lovely now.  

Implants do require a lot of aftercare, with 3 monthly hygienist visits, twice yearly examinations and yearly x rays as a bare minimum so I've decided to rejoin Denplan. Not cheap as I'm band C but I would be saving money just on the regular check ups and hygienist, let alone any additional treatments required so I think it's worthwhile.    My implants were a hefty investment so I need to look after them.   I must admit I am thrilled with the result, I feel more attractive and a lot more confident.  No pain or discomfort, can eat anything.  She did recommend I avoid really hard nuts such as Brazil nuts, just in case.  No great hardship, I can still tuck into pistachios and pecans. 😁

Popped in a chazza afterwards.  Bought some pretty storage boxes for various bits and bobs.  They also do 5 CDs and/or DVDS for £1.  So I bought 5 of each. At 20p a pop it's a great way of trying out new types of music or films.  If I don't like them enough to keep then I just redonate.  I do still have Netflix (the cheap with adverts package) and sometimes I watch films and listen to music on YouTube as well as podcasts,  again choosing to put up with adverts to keep it free.   I also piggyback my sons  Disney package so I've lots of choice.  I have ditched my BBC tv licence.  I am boycotting them until they clean up their act......but all in all plenty of free/cheap entertainment options to get me through the winter.  

Lovely day here. Going to sit in the garden, make the most of the sunshine.  🌞😎

SandyShores

Wednesday2000 said:

helensbiggestfan said:

  I have bought myself a heated neck/shoulder warmer.  It's brilliant.  Eases the aches and pains and probably saves on the heating bill a bit too.  With that round my shoulders and a throw over the rest of me I can snuggle down on the sofa as snug as a bug in a rug.  

Where did you buy that from? I have problems with my neck when I'm sleeping and when I wake up still even with the ergonomic pillows I bought. It is okay when I get up and stretch, but it is annoying.

This looks amazing.  I've got the lavender wheat bag but gets cold so quickly and difficult to balance sometimes.  Is it similar to this Dreamland one in Dunelm (which are £34.99 on Lakeland fleabay)?

helensbiggestfan

yes it's similar to that one.  Mine is blue.  It's made by a company called Comfytemp.  On Amazon, currently £29.99. 

Wednesday2000

Thanks, I will look at them both properly. They both look like good things to use sitting in my house as it is old and has drafts. We did buy some insulation tape the other day to seal up a hole in the understairs cupboard as there is a horrible draft from there.

helensbiggestfan

Good morning my lovely friends.  

Well I am certainly getting good use from my heated neck warmer because although the days have been warm and pleasant the evenings are getting quite nippy now.  I looked at the weather forecast for next week and it looks like temps are going to fall quite quickly. I guess autumn is well and truly upon us now.  Time to start prepping for winter. 😱😂.   


Wednesday.   Sounds like you are getting organised and planning ahead.  Even if I bought a house today it is likely that it would take several months for the purchase to go through so I may was well get myself "bedded in" and nice and cosy.  

Going to have a wardrobe sort out today, I think I can safely say I won't be needing any summer clothes now for a while.  I have decided against a winter sun holiday so I can put my summer clothes away now. No sun cruises this winter.  Lol. Instead, As a family we have booked a lovely cottage (complete with log burners 😁) in the Peak District for next Easter.  Really looking forward to it, doesn't really matter about the weather.   Wardrobe wise, I'm pretty well prepared for winter, lots of nice warm coats, sweaters etc.  

Yesterday I popped into a local chazzer and picked up a set of 6 gorgeous crystal whisky glasses for just £2. I had been searching for some for ages so at that price I pounced pretty sharpish.  I had previously gifted all my crystal glassware to my son and DIL when I went minimalist. I do like modern glassware and pottery and have some nice decorative objects but I also love crystal and fine bone china  so have been collecting them again.  Luckily chazzas are a great place to find some real bargains. A while ago I bought a gorgeous dinner service for £9, found the same one on eBay for £135.  I am currently searching for nice table linens.

 I do like an elegant dining experience with flowers, candles, and nice china and glassware. I may not be the worlds best cook but I can at least make the table look nice.  😂🤣

 I also bought 5 DVDs for £1.  I got rid of all of my DVDS a few years ago when digital streaming became popular but later came to regret it because so many of my favourite films aren't always available for free when I fancy rewatching them. Anyway a few more for my collection, perfect for dark winter afternoons or evenings when there is nothing worth watching on tv.  I can hibernate quite happily with a good supply of books and films to keep me entertained. 

Although I really must stir my stumps and start house hunting before another year passes me by.......

Right time for brunch and then get cracking .....

Hope you are all well and continuing to find those champagne moments, living with style and elegance and having some fun along the way.